


Lindsay Is Fine

by aiIenzo



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-09-12
Packaged: 2017-12-26 10:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiIenzo/pseuds/aiIenzo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Just try it. Try and deal with him and maybe you’ll like him." She reaches over and kisses him gently on the lips, and he runs a hand through her hair. "Trust me, baby. It’ll be fine."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lindsay Is Fine

The great thing about people was they always cared, or at least pretended to. And the great thing about Lindsay was that she was always able to answer honestly.

"Everything is fine."

And that generic response became not so insufferable, because Lindsay was able to put so much love and feeling in it, it was able to convey so much more than three little words led you to believe.

If things were bad, everything was going to turn out just fine.

And if things were incredible, well, life was just fine indeed.

And so when Michael told her that he had decided to accept the second invitation for employment at Rooster Teeth, her delight was unmistakable. They were beginning their lives, together, their future bright.

And everything was going to be fine.

 

—-

 

The first months were a hectic dream. Packing the things they owned together, mostly memorabilia, was a task in itself, as was the drive from New Jersey to Austin. Their stuff bounced along behind them in a small trailer, and she kept her hand on the back of Michael’s neck, playing with the curls and twirling them with her fingertips. Michael’s hand would come to rest on her leg as he drove, and her eyes would close.

It was bliss.

With many phone calls and faxes, they had secured an apartment only a few blocks from headquarters, and within days they had arrived, unpacked, and made it their home. Michael’s hands would curl around her waist at every opportunity, and she’d drift, her eyes catching the ring on her finger, feeling heavy and promising.

 

—-

 

Time passed, and she began to grow more confident, stopping by Rooster Teeth to drop off lunch for Michael, then for Michael and Ray, and suddenly she was bringing everyone in Achievement Hunter coffee and doughnuts and planning barbecues at their apartment. Her spirit was infectious, and her appearance was welcomed warmly as soon as she’d show up.

Michael tried to hide his prideful smiles as Ray would tell, “You have the coolest girl ever, man.”

And her eyes would catch Michael’s and she’d wink, and there was that spark still, lighting up her core and making her stomach flutter.

Burnie took notice of her after a while, and suddenly she went from the friendly face to the friendly coworker, and nothing could have prepared her for this life, this dream. To have everything she wanted, and to be so accepted.

And her mom would call her everyday, and ask how she was.

She was always fine, so very fine. Everything is fine, Mom. I love you too.

And she could never stop smiling as she said it.

 

—-

 

Six months passed, and Michael was making them pancakes as she doodled in a sketchbook, her ring glistening in the morning sun.

"You know," Michael began, "I was thinking maybe doing the wedding at a brewery or something. They have a really nice one with like, a koi pond and shit."

She smiled. She did it so often her cheeks hurt.

"I thought guys weren’t supposed to be into wedding planning."

Michael flipped a pancake. “Fuck that. It’s our wedding, isn’t it? It means just as much to me as it does to you.” He rummaged through the cabinets, tossing things aside and knocking over packages. “I thought we had chocolate syrup? Why does everything keep fucking disappearing?”

"Because you keep throwing it," she laughs, her heart warms. She feels like she could fly.

 

—-

 

"Geoff’s bringing in someone new."

She looked up from her DS at Michael, who was lazily scrolling through the XBox arcade games.

"New?"

"Well, sort of. He’s been there longer than us, but he was working on the Red Vs. Blue. He’s been in England mostly. Burnie wants him more integrated though, and Geoff wants another guy, says we need more dynamic, or something."

"What’s he like?" she questioned, watching Michael’s chest rise and fall with each breath that he took.

"Dunno," Michael shrugged, moving himself to sit closer to her. "British? I asked Ray, and he said he’s hilarious, but Ray’s judgement sucks dick."

She’s too distracted by Michael’s skin and the way he’s pressed himself against her to care too much about the newcomer.

"I’m sure you guys will get along fine."

 

—-

 

It’s two months later, and he finally shows up.

Gavin.

Lindsay spots him immediately, but avoids approaching him until Barbara drags her over for an introduction. He’s charming, and she can’t help but laugh at everything he says. It’s wild. His eyes are bright and his hair is disheveled, but no one can seem to find a flaw. Everyone instantly loves him.

She hopes maybe he’ll come to a barbecue sometime.

Michael, however, isn’t so welcoming. As the days pass, strings of curses followed by screams of Gavin’s name can be heard around the entire building, and everyone knows not to interrupt it. They can hear Gavin’s laughter over Michael’s rage, which seems to only infuriate him more, and as weeks go by, Michael slamming doors as he leaves the building becomes a more commonplace sound. 

She doesn’t confront him, but his anger returns home with him, until one day he bursts.

"I HATE that stupid fucking British prick!"

She looks up, neither alarmed nor worried. She had put up with this for years and has either grown a shell, or chose to ignore it. Michael was always fine, anyway.

"What happened now?"

"Nothing happened, he just… he just says the stupidest shit. All the time. And it’s always “Mi-cool, Mi-cool,” and he even writes my name like that on anything he can get his fucking hands on. I’m sick of it. I’m trying to edit and he’s breathing down my neck, talking talking talking, wanting to get lunch, and if he doesn’t stop I’m going to murder him, then I’ll have to buy Geoff a new Brit. And I bet they’re expensive.”

She watches him through his tirade, running a hand through his hair as he paces the living room. It’s cute, she thinks, and she can’t hold a grudge against Gavin, because at least Gavin doesn’t take Michael seriously, just as she never did.

"He’s good at what he does, though," she responded lightly, and he throws himself onto the couch. "The videos and everything."

"Yeah," he responds, looking resigned. "It’s like I just can’t avoid him though."

"Well, maybe you should stop trying to. You could use a best friend, you know. And he seems to be able to put up with all your stupid shit. I saw that bruise you left on his leg the other day, and he didn’t even care."

Michael looks thoughtful, skeptical.

"I don’t know…"

"Just try it. Try and deal with him and maybe you’ll like him." She reaches over and kisses him gently on the lips, and he runs a hand through her hair. "Trust me, baby. It’ll be fine."

 

—-

 

And so Michael tries.

Three months go by, and the yells turn from furious, to accepting, to humorous, and suddenly Gavin is at Michael’s side throughout the day. And Michael never gives in, never lets a day go by without punching Gavin, or calling him names, or reminding him that he’s the dumbest motherfucker that he’s ever had the displeasure to be seated next to, but there’s a drop of fondness in Michael’s voice, and Lindsay picks up on it immediately.

And when Michael snuggles closer to her in the quiet of night, whispering that he thinks he’s going to ask Gavin to be his best man, she smiles. Because she had already known that for weeks now.

And it was just fine with her.

 

—-

 

Michael and Gavin start taking lunch-time swims, which turn into Gavin coming over every other night for evening-time swims at their apartment complex. Which turn into Lindsay getting tired of swimming so much, and letting them have their fun.

Gavin stays until seven or eight.

Weeks pass, and Gavin stays until nine or ten.

Two months pass, and Gavin is spending the night, curled into their couch as Michael collapses on the bed next to her, drunk and undignified.

Boys, she thinks, and turns over to go back to sleep.

 

—-

 

Michael and Gavin become inseparable at work, and jokes are being made about how Michael’s aggressive hatred has turned to aggressive love, and they’ve started to ask Lindsay if they’re going to adopt the Brit, since he’s at their apartment whenever he’s not at work.

Lindsay smiles, but it’s weak. She’s focused on work, getting enough of Gavin when she’s at home.

And that night, when Michael crashes next to her, she pulls him close. They’ve run a dry streak for several weeks, and it’s unlike them. Very unlike them, and she aims to get back their intimacy. But Michael mumbles something and turns away, and she can’t quite make out what it was. The back of her mind had heard ”Not now, she’s asleep,” but that wasn’t right. Not now, Michael had meant, because Gavin was here, and he was asleep.

She turned over, the weight of the ring on her finger suddenly feeling a bit more heavy. A bit more noticeable. And when her mom called the next morning, and she told her everything was fine, there was an edge to her voice.

"What happened? Tell me?"

"Nothing, it’s fine. Really."

 

—-

 

"I was thinking maybe, like, green or something. Since we’re making the cake look like an XBox, maybe the green would look good? I think Barbara would look good in a green dress, too."

She looked up at Michael, who was glued to his phone.

"Michael?"

He glanced up, but only barely. “What?”

"The colors? For the wedding? I need to know, the planner has to get all the details for things like that."

"Oh, right." He stopped, and glanced at his phone again, a smile gracing his lips and a pang hitting her heart. "Well it’s whatever you want babe, it’s your day. I got to go though, I’m meeting Gavin in town."

She stiffened, but she wasn’t sure why. “Gavin and who?”

"Just Gavin. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. It’s fine."

She kissed him goodbye and tried not to count how many days it had been since he’d held her at night.

 

—-

 

Maybe, maybe she was just stressed. Starting a new job and being on camera and everything with RWBY, not to mention planning this wedding, maybe she just needed a break. And so when Kara approached her and asked if she was up for a 3 day trip to Washington to promote their anime, she took the offer with no hesitation.

Michael took the news well. He smiled at her and helped her pack, even went out and bought her a new dress. She felt good, guilty even for her recent thoughts, by the time she had said goodbye and was boarding the plane. As she went to turn her phone off though, that bright feeling was crumbled from a simple text from Michael.

Good news, Gavin is staying with me so I won’t be so lonely without you. Have fun, text me when you land :)

She desperately tried to build her spirits back up. It was good Michael had company, that way he wouldn’t be blowing up her phone the whole time she was away. Right?

It was…

It was.

…What was it?

 

—-

 

Her twitter feed was more active than her messages, which picture after picture of Michael and Gavin’s shenanigans being posted by them for the public as she received her meager three to four messages a day from Michael.

She smiled for fans and enjoyed herself, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. She was being crazy. She was being absolutely crazy.

She arrived back in Austin early, the sun had yet to rise, and she made her way blearily back to her apartment, unlocking the door just as the time on the TV receiver had hit 6:51.

She walked inside, and immediately stepped back out, her hand clutched to her chest. Her heartbeat erratic.

No.

She took a moment to steady her breathing before peering back in, more quietly than before. 

Gavin and Michael were lying on the middle of the floor, pillows and blankets that had been a makeshift fort lay discarded around them, underneath them. Michael’s face was buried in Gavin’s neck, and that was normal, right? Both of their shirts were thrown carelessly into a corner, and that was normal, right? Boys did weird things when they were drunk. That’s normal.

Right?

She got back into her car and spent the rest of the morning in a coffee shop, repeating her mantra and calming her nerves.

It was fine. Everything was fine.

 

—-

 

Gavin wouldn’t meet her eyes at work, and Michael started finding excuses not to be home. Her loneliness and desperation grew over the weeks and she found herself gazing at Joel, taking in his features, watching him smile and talk and laugh. She found herself thinking about asking him for drinks, and her disbelief welled up inside of her so immediate, so rushed, that her stomach churned and she ran to the bathroom to relieve her body of breakfast.

This wasn’t fine.

She wasn’t okay.

 

—-

 

The talk of marriage stopped. She couldn’t tell which one of them was away from home more often, or which one of them cared less. Michael and Gavin’s laughter filled the rooms at work, and she focused on RWBY. She tuned it out. And when she finally took off her ring and stored it in a box under her dresser, no one asked her about it.

She had the sick, horrible feeling that no one needed to.

 

—-

 

The great thing about people is that they always cared, or at least pretended to. And the great thing about Lindsay was that she was always able to answer honestly.

But as her stuff was being moved out, and Gavin’s was being moved in, maybe everything wasn’t as honest as it had always seemed.

And her mom would call her, and ask what happened. Said it was okay. Said she’d be fine. It’s okay, baby.

And her vision grew blurred from the tears she refused to let fall, and she nodded. Silently. She couldn’t tell what was honest anymore, and what was defense.

She’s fine.

Everything is fine.


End file.
